Born Fate
by AuraGemi
Summary: A strange new Eeveelution has made its way into the world, but how exactly did it come to be?
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

Hello everyone! This is an idea I had for a Pokemon fanfic. Please read and enjoy!

P.S. I use _()()()_ to show a separation of time.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Awakening**

"Where…Where am I?"

Those were the first thoughts of a creature suspended in a cylindrical tank, electrical cords attached to its head and body. The creature, when compared to a human, would reach no higher than their knees. The majority of its sleek and aerodynamic body was covered in brown fur. It had small, furry, diamond-shaped ears, a thin, black-tipped, teardrop-shaped tail that naturally rested pointing down, a big, black pouf of fur around its neck in the shape of a cloud with a shock of fur coming off the side, and a tuft of fur on the top of its head.

Currently, its eyes were closed, as if asleep. It was slowly becoming conscious after a long period of dormancy. Its mind eventually warmed up and sent out the signal for the Pokemon to open its eyes. Its eyelids slid up to reveal big, deep purple irises.

The Pokemon spotted many strange machines around it. The room was made of metal and looked like it had been partially destroyed: the metal sliding doors were crumpled and covered with ash, as were the walls immediately surrounding them.

Everything looked strange, the images kept waving before the Pokemon's eyes and everything was tinged with green. It looked down and saw the wires attached to it. This was too much for her to handle all at once, her mind went into shock. She swatted the cables off and slammed against the inside of the chamber as hard as she could. A few small cracks appeared on the glass so she slammed it again. The glass gave way and shattered, the Pokemon tumbling onto the floor and green liquid spilling everywhere.

Shaking the weird solution off of her fur, she glanced around once more. There was no longer a green tint or wavy images, but something still seemed strange here. She turned around to look at the containment unit she had fallen from and saw that there were many more next to it, most of them shattered as well, the wires hanging limply without the liquid to lift them.

"What was I doing in there?" she thought. This place was really starting to creep her out, so she turned to the crushed doors and slipped through a gap at the bottom.

She soon discovered that this place, whatever it was, did not stay consistent with the metal room she had just escaped. The edifice had everything from an elegant, roomy dining hall with a tall, spiraling ramp at the front to an enormous Pokemon battle arena surrounded by glaring spotlights. What was this place exactly? She couldn't understand it at all.

She went to the balcony and saw an expanse of water extending as a far as the eye could see. This had to be an island; everywhere she looked there was water. What was she doing in a place like this? It looked as if it hadn't been inhabited for years, not to mention the fact that there were signs of destruction all over: there were jagged chunks of stone and marble missing from the walls, staircases, and ground. Soot clung to any surface it could touch, particularly the areas of damage. Most of the furniture was either crooked or toppled.

She decided to move on and soon found herself in an underground cove. There was still one small, old sailboat docked there, apparently abandoned. Seeing no use in staying there, she climbed in and released the rope keeping it bound to the dock. The current carried it out to sea where the wind took control. It was a bright day, not many clouds in the sky. There was a slight breeze as the sunbeams shined down on the little Pokemon.

"This feels so nice," she said as she sat there feeling the warm wind on her face. She had never felt such a wonderful sensation.

After a while, the heat made her tired and she lay down, quickly falling asleep.

_()()()_

_BOOM!_

The Pokemon jerked awake as she heard the colossal sound of the thunder. Somehow, the quiet, peaceful weather she had fallen asleep to had been replaced by a raging thunderstorm. The water pitched violently, sending spray everywhere. The little Pokemon held onto a board on the inside of the boat for dear life, trying not to inhale any water. Soon the terrible winds ripped the sail right off the boat. The storm didn't let up even a tiny bit, it just kept hurling the boat in different directions, threatening to make the scared Pokemon lose her grip. Suddenly, a gigantic wave crashed down on the boat, tearing it to pieces, leaving the Pokemon to hold its breath. She finally resurfaced and swam to the nearest board, clinging to it with all her might. She climbed on top of the flotation device, using up what little energy she had left. She fainted, her body resting on top of the board as the storm continued to toss her around relentlessly.


	2. Chapter 2: The Seafoam Islands

Hello guys! Here's chapter 2 for you! I hope you like it!

Again, the _()()()_ stands for a separation of time.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Seafoam Islands**

"What kind of Pokemon is that do you think?"

"I don't know."

"What's it doing here?"

"Is it still alive?"

She could hear the whispers of some nearby creatures, but she couldn't understand them. What were those noises that they were making?

Her entire body felt sore and weak. All she could really do was lay there on the sand, eyes closed. What had happened again? What was it that had caused her to be like this? She couldn't think; her mind was worn out as well. All she knew was that it felt like there were hundreds of eyes on her. She tried laboriously to get back on her feet, shaking from her lack of energy. As she opened her eyes, she saw that she was on a beach, right near the water. Apparently she had been washed up there. Turning her head the other way, she spotted some strange-looking creatures with no fur. They walked on only two legs, had tiny ears and eyes compared to hers, and wore these weird garments. As she later found out, these creatures were called humans.

They became even more excited when she rose to her feet, whispering about how it wasn't dead after all. Through the sudden uproar in animated conversation, the little Pokemon noticed two particular humans who weren't dressed like the rest of the humans in that location: instead of wearing swimsuits, they were wearing jumpsuits. They stood away from everyone else, murmuring to each other.

"Have you ever seen that Pokemon?"

"Nope."

"Me neither, and it's not in my Pokedex. You know what this means, right?"

"It must be rare. We should take it to the boss."

They began making their way through the crowd toward her. Even though she couldn't understand their language, she could still tell that their intentions weren't benevolent, she could just feel it. Summoning energy from the depths of her body, she ran in the opposite direction, making the jump-suited figures sprint too. She dodged in between people as they gasped and exclaimed phrases that were incomprehensible to her. It didn't matter though, as long as those two guys were chasing her, she needed to get out of there as fast as possible.

She ducked under tables and zigzagged around beach umbrellas and other various piles of beach equipment, trying to make her path as hard to follow as she could. They eventually reached the edge of the beach and came across a thick patch of trees. She jumped into the smallest gap she could find and crouched in the undergrowth. Hidden in the shade of the foliage, she stayed completely still, watching, listening.

"We lost it," she heard one of them say.

"What a disappointment."

And with that, they left. She lay down in the soft grass, trying to catch her breath, quivering from exhaustion. She was so drained, if only she hadn't had to exert herself like that. There had to be something that could help bring her strength back.

Spotting some sort of berry lying a few feet away, she got up and walked shakily over to the edible object. Gripping it between her teeth, she swallowed it in one gulp. The effect was immediate: her energy came rushing back to her, as if the berry had cured her of all her ailments. It was incredible. Smiling to herself, she began trekking through the trees.

_()()()_

She remained in that area for about a week, trying to figure out what was going on. After she had ventured through the forest, she found her way to a path that led to a large town. Over time, she learned how to understand some of the language of the humans. As a result, she came to the understanding that she was in a place called the Seafoam Islands. Other than that, she also heard about Pokemon, their Trainers, and many other intriguing tidbits. These intelligent humans peaked her interest, what with their language and the things that they created, such as the Pokedex. She, therefore, decided to stay for a while to see if she could learn anything else. She didn't dare approach them though, not after her first encounter. It was just too much of a risk at this particular point in time.

When she wasn't hiding out, trying to discover more about humans, she would go back to the forest and scavenge for berries. There were actually quite a few in the vicinity, buried in the ground, hanging in the trees, everywhere, waiting to be found. She only needed to look for them.

She was currently enjoying her life quite a bit. She hadn't been threatened since her first day there and as long as she stayed out of sight there would be no trouble. She liked being able to learn from the fascinating humans and eat all the berries she wanted. It was the most peaceful she had been with herself since before the storm had hit.

One day when she wasn't being careful enough about her hiding spot, the two guys who had chased her on the beach caught a glimpse of her and pursued her for a second time.

"Maybe I can lose them if I go to the forest," she thought frantically. It had worked before, so why wouldn't it work now? The problem was, the forest on this side was thin, allowing them to follow her more easily. They also brought out their Pokemon, some Golbat and Wheezing, to help them catch her. They fired big globs of poisonous fluids and breathed toxic gas in her direction, trying to weaken her. It was all she could do to avoid their attacks; she couldn't loose any of her own. This was not looking good.


	3. Chapter 3: Lingering Fear

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. That Error Type 2 thing was _really _annoying! But luckily, LeafxGreenx3 helped me out with a way to get around it. If you're having the same problem and want to know the trick, PM me or LeafxGreenx3. So anyway, I'm finally back with a new chapter. Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Lingering Fear**

The Pokemon darted around the dense tree trunks, sticky goo and other venomous assaults landing dangerously close. The only thing she could do now was to keep running. If she tried to stop and launch an attack, one of theirs would probably hit her. As she checked behind her to see how far away they were, she ran into something solid and crashed to the ground.

"Ouch! Oh, a Pokemon?" the girl said in surprise. She looked about 15 years of age and had dark brown hair that came down to her mid-back. Her face was framed by two long strands of hair on either side. She had dark green eyes and long, slender legs. She wore some comfy-looking gray tennis shoes with light green socks, khaki shorts, a light green belt with a brown buckle, and a purplish top with a sweetheart neckline, which she had tucked into her shorts. The shirt had poufy reddish-purple sleeves, heathered pinkish-purple fabric below the neckline, and maroon trim bordering all exposed edges of the shirt. There were also two black buttons mounted on a maroon tab in the middle of the top of the blouse.

The Pokemon just stared at her for a while until it heard the foe approaching from behind. Not knowing what else to do, she hid behind the girl's legs. She could sense that this human was not a bad one.

"You there! Hand that Pokemon over."

The girl looked at the strange men in front of her, then at the tiny Pokemon at her feet, and back again.

"No. She doesn't like you."

"You little brat! Golbat, use Poison Fang!"

In one, fluid motion, the girl pulled out a Poke Ball and released an elegant, green and white Pokemon.

"I don't think so. Gardevoir, use Psychic."

The Gardevoir obeyed its Trainer and sent out a mass of mental energy. The furry little Pokemon at her feet watched in amazement as it KO'd the Golbat with one hit.

"Argh!" one of the men yelled, obviously surprised. "Pretty good, but not good enough!"

He commanded another Golbat to attack, but it was defeated just as easily as the first. The jump-suited guys kept sending in Pokemon, but they were no match for Gardevoir. After a few minutes, they were left with no more Pokemon, most having been knocked out with one hit. They ran away quickly, startled by how strong this girl was.

"Thanks Gardevoir," she said as she returned the Pokemon to its Poke Ball. Then she crouched down next to the furry Pokemon at her feet and softly patted its head.

"It's okay, they're gone now. They won't bother you anymore."

The girl picked it up into her arms and stood again, the Pokemon allowing her to do so. This girl was trustworthy, she could tell.

"I don't think I've seen a Pokemon like you before. Are you possibly a new one?"

"Am I?" she wondered quietly. From how everyone had reacted on the beach, it didn't sound unrealistic.

They both sat there contemplating for a while until the girl was struck by an idea.

"Maybe Professor Oak will know." Reaching down, she grabbed another Poke Ball and threw it in the air, releasing a Pidgeot.

"Hey there," she greeted, stroking its feathery head. "Can you take us to Pallet Town?"

The Pidgeot made a cooing sound in response and bent low so her trainer could climb on her back. The girl, still holding the strange little Pokemon, carefully mounted the bird.

"Hold on," she said as her Pidgeot prepared to take off. With one great sweep of its wings, the Pidgeot shot toward the sky. Having never flown before, the furry Pokemon cringed when it felt its body ascending rapidly. It almost felt as if she had left her physical self on the ground, and this was her spirit soaring into the atmosphere. After a while, she got used to the sensation of flight and settled down. She could feel the cool air rushing through her fur, and it vaguely reminded her of the time she had been on the boat. Before long, a small town came into view and they began their descent.

"Thank you Pidgeot. I'll see you later." The girl said, calling it back to its Pokeball. Then she turned toward a large, rectangular building and walked inside.

The furry Pokemon was amazed by what she saw. Piles of books were stacked in tall, wooden bookshelves, all of them containing information about Pokemon. A little further back, there were many computers, laptops, and other machines, each with a specific purpose. There were also people in white lab coats all over the place, reading books, tending to the machines, and writing on clipboards.

"Professor Oak?" the girl called as she wandered toward the back of the lab. An elderly man with gray hair and a lab coat just like those of the other researchers turned from a computer to look at the girl approaching him.

"Ah, Hayley. Good to see you again." As he spotted the Pokemon in her arms, he added," Who do we have here?"

"I was hoping you might know, Professor. You see, these guys were chasing it around on the Seafoam Islands so I stepped in and made them leave her alone. The problem is, this kind of Pokemon isn't registered in my Pokedex."

"I'm afraid this particular Pokemon is unfamiliar to me as well."

"I'm guessing it might be an evolution of Eevee. Look…" Hayley set the Pokemon on a table in front of them. "The body shape is almost identical to Eevee's. The fur and ears are a little different, but other than that, it looks a lot like an Eevee."

Sensing a long conversation to come, the Eevee-like Pokemon sat down.

"You're right, but that still doesn't tell us how it came to be. Are you sure you have no idea where it originally came from?"

"No. All I know is that I found it on the Seafoam Islands."

"Hmm…that makes it a bit harder. Well, all I can say right now is that it's a young Pokemon. You can tell from its proportions."

He thought for a moment.

"Maybe if we could hook it up to this machine," he said as he gestured to the contraption next to the table," we could learn more about its genetics. That should help us determine at least if it is, in fact, an evolution of Eevee and its type."

Hayley nodded and walked over to the device, flipping up a cap on the side and pulling out some thin, metal cords. The Pokemon froze when it saw them. It forced terrible images of the day she had awoken in that beaten-up lab into her mind once again…the machines that had been surrounding her so suspiciously, the cylindrical glass chambers filled with the vision-altering fluid…and the wires that had been attached to her body, confining her in their metal grip…


	4. Chapter 4: Mystery

Hey guys! While I was waiting for a solution to that Error Type 2 thing, I wrote most of Chapter 4. The only thing that prevented me from finishing it yesterday was homework (stupid teachers, assigning a lot of homework so I can't work on my fanfic). And I just have to say something now about the Pokemon's name: it was the best one I could think of. Any others that I considered didn't seem to fit her personality or appearance, so I settled with the one that sounded the nicest.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Mystery**

"No! K-keep those away from me!" she yelled out of fright, backing up. Professor Oak and Hayley both jumped.

"What was that?" Hayley cried.

"Oh, so you can use telepathy!" Oak exclaimed.

"Telepathy?" the Pokemon said, tilting its head to one side.

"Most Pokemon cannot be understood by humans, but by using the power of telepathy, you can make your words comprehensible to us."

"Oh. So you can hear what I'm saying right now?"

"Yes, which makes this much simpler. Instead of trying to get the information by using machines, you can just tell us yourself."

"Well, to tell you the truth,_ I_ don't even know much about me."

"What do you mean?" Hayley asked.

"It's kind of a long story."

"That's just fine," Oak replied. "You want to figure this out just as much as we do, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then you need to tell us what you do know. For us to unravel this mystery, we need all the information we can get."

After a short period of contemplation, the Pokemon launched into her story. She told them of how she had woken up in that weird chamber with the cables attached to her, how the rooms in the place didn't really seem to match, how they all showed signs of destruction, how nobody had been there in a long time. She told them of how she had been caught in the storm and washed up on the shore of a beach on the Seafoam Islands, how she could just tell that those guys were bad and how they had chased her into the trees, how she had come to learn about everything that she had learned while on the Seafoam Islands, and finally, how the jump-suited men had chased her again, only to be stopped by Hayley.

"After that, Hayley took me here…and now the story has pretty much caught up with the present."

By now, she had earned the curiosity of some of the other researchers. A few had come over, but most of them were just watching and listening from a distance.

"So is that why you don't like electrical wires?" Hayley asked, having returned them to the machine a long time ago. The Pokemon nodded.

"It still scares me, that memory…"

"These ones won't hurt you, I promise. You just need to wear them for a few seconds." As she saw the hesitant expression on the Pokemon's face, she added," This is the only way we can figure this out, since you can't remember much."

She had to admit, Hayley had a point. She really _did_ want to know more about herself, about what made her the way she was and how she had come into this world. Where was she born? How had she ended up in the lab on that island? These were only a few of the questions that had been bothering her. Finally, she came to a decision.

"Alright, I'll do it."

Hayley smiled at her in a comforting way and pulled the cables out once again, placing one on the Pokemon's head and the other on her chest. Hayley held them there as the machine started making noises. The Pokemon was again reminded of the time that she had woken up inside that weird glass chamber, and she clamped her eyes shut as she started to tremble.

"Only a bit longer," Hayley said in a soothing voice, calming her down until the machine beeped, signaling the completion of data acquisition. Hayley removed the wires and put them back in the machine, flipping the cap back down over them.

"Thank you for putting up with it," Hayley smiled. "Now we might get some answers."

They waited a few more seconds while the device sorted through all the information.

"Data analysis complete," a mechanical voice stated. "Pokemon is of the Normal and Ghost types. Genetics are closest to those of Eevee. Unable to identify cause of genetic transformation."

"So I am related to Eevee after all, but what about that genetic transformation part?"

"It must mean that you evolved in a way that hasn't been discovered yet," Professor Oak responded," and I'm sure you evolved from Eevee, or you wouldn't have a second type."

"And speaking of a second type, isn't that unusual for an evolution of Eevee?" Hayley asked.

"It is indeed."

"Wait, why is it unusual?" the Pokemon asked.

"Pokemon like Vaporeon, Flareon, Umbreon – all the Eevee evolutions – have only one type when they evolve from Eevee," Hayley explained," Vaporeon is a Water type, Flareon is a Fire type, Jolteon is an Electric type, Umbreon is a Dark type, Espeon is a Psychic type, Leafeon is a Grass type, and Glaceon is an Ice type. You're unique among all the other Eevee evolutions because not only did you keep your Normal type, but you also got the Ghost type somehow."

"Oh, I see."

There was a period of silence in which they all mulled it over. They had found out barely anything about her; most of it was still unknown. They only knew her types and what she had told them, nothing else. This was really strange. Why hadn't they been able to discover more? The evolution part was perhaps the weirdest. If Eevee's evolutions tended to have only one type, then why did she have two? And how was it that she had evolved anyway? She couldn't recall anything past her waking in the lab. She didn't remember ever evolving; it was almost as if she had been in this form since the beginning. It seemed like an evolution would be something that would be lodged in a Pokemon's memory, so did that mean that she was possibly unconscious when it happened? There were too many questions that needed answers.

"Well," the Pokemon started awkwardly," I guess I'm more mysterious than any of us expected, huh?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. We'll figure it out," Hayley replied, scratching her behind the ears.

"Well, since we know a little bit more, I think I should start working on the Pokedex," Professor Oak said, walking over to the computer he had been at before. His fingers flew over the keyboard, tapping out the information. A few minutes later, he stopped typing and turned back to Hayley and the Pokemon.

"Now all we need is an official name. What should the new Pokemon be called?"

"Do you have any preferences?" Hayley asked her.

"Umm…I don't know. Uh," the Pokemon thought for a while and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Evoleon?"

She had chosen that name because she was an _evol_ution of Eevee and she had noticed that all the Pokemon that evolved from Eevee had names that ended in _eon_. She thought it was kind of childish, but apparently it was good enough for the Pokemon Professor because he smiled at her.

"Okay then, Evoleon it is," he said, tapping it into the computer. "Hayley, hand me your Pokedex."

She did as instructed and passed the little red device to the Professor. He hooked it up to some kind of cable in the computer and entered a few last commands. The Pokedex's screen lit up and a mechanical voice began talking.

"New Pokemon data: Evoleon, the Instinct Pokemon. It relies on its natural instincts to alert it of people's intentions. Further information is yet to be discovered."

Professor Oak released the cable and gave Hayley's Pokedex back to her.

"There's a little bit more information about her types and other things if you look at her Pokedex Entry."

"Cool. Thanks, Professor."

He nodded at her, then turned his attention to Evoleon.

"There is still some research that I would like to do. Would that be alright with you?"

"Sure, if it means that I'll be able to find out who I am."

"Wonderful. For the research to really be successful, you need to act naturally, and the best way to do that is if you would continue travelling with Hayley. She would make some observations and get to know you better, updating me if anything new comes up. Is this still okay with you two?"

"You bet it is!" they exclaimed at the same time. Oak grinned at them, happy to see that they were excited about their upcoming adventure. After a look from the Professor, Hayley reached in her bag and pulled out a Poke Ball, turning to Evoleon and holding it out for her to see.

"Could you please go inside the Poke Ball?"

"Um…I'm not sure if I'd like being in there. It seems like it would remind me of my confinement in those glass chambers."

"You don't have to stay in it all the time," Hayley replied, relieving the slight worry that had crept into Evoleon's mind, "but you _do_ have to go in there at least once. If you don't, you won't officially be my Pokemon and someone like those guys on the Seafoam Islands might be able to catch you. It's just a safety precaution. I'll let you right back out."

The idea of those guys capturing her was frightening. She didn't ever want that to happen. Hayley had proven before that she was reliable, so it would be okay if she went along with the plan. She knew that everything was going to turn out fine.

Evoleon nudged the white button in the middle of the Poke Ball with her nose, causing the capsule to pop open, draw her inside, and shut immediately afterwards. It was dark in that un-seeable space, no light what-so-ever. It felt like an endless abyss, and she was in the center of it. Evoleon was curled up in a little ball, seemingly floating in the air. She vaguely sensed that the area around her shook whenever she made a move, but before long, the shaking stopped and she felt herself becoming gradually sleepy and closed her eyes. This was what it must have been like whenever a Pokemon was called into its Poke Ball: they would go into a state of hibernation until released again.

A second later, a sliver of light appeared in the black, widening until she felt herself being sucked out of the Poke Ball as if there was a vacuum on the other side. Evoleon flailed about, unable to control where she was going. The force guiding her release set her gently on the desk, exactly where she had been before.

"Excellent. Everything's now set," Oak said as Evoleon shook off the weird sensation of being inside a Poke Ball. While it wasn't absolutely terrible, she much preferred the outside world.

After Hayley had put the Poke Ball with the others at her waist, she reached out to Evoleon, who took the clue and jumped into her arms.

"Thanks for helping me you guys," she said, addressing no one in particular. "I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for your help."

"Don't mention it," Hayley smiled. "I couldn't just let those guys push an innocent Pokemon around, you know."

"Well, now that this whole matter is settled," Oak started," I should get back to my research. You are welcome to come back here anytime you feel the need."

"Thank you, Professor Oak," Hayley said. "We'll see you later."

She turned toward the exit and began making her way to the door as the researchers went back to work, carrying Evoleon in her arms.


	5. Chapter 5: Dwelling in the Past

Oh man, I love writing too much. I thought that this chapter was only going to be about 1,300 words, but it ended up being a little over 1,800! XD Oh well, that just means that you have a nice long chapter to read! I hope this makes up for my temporary absence over the past...what is it? Month (or maybe two)? That's just too long. Sorry about that guys.

After all the school work that I've been getting hammered with, I'm sincerely surprised how easily I was able to continue writing this. Ideas just kept flowing and I even got an idea for something later in the story (but for obvious reasons, I can't tell you what it is). Just keep reading to find out what that idea is! ;)

This chapter is kinda like filler/background info...whatever you want to call it, I guess, but I feel that it's essential to the developing relationship between Hayley and Evoleon.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please don't hesitate to review. I like hearing from you guys. It's very interesting to read what you guys think is going to happen and what-not.

Oh! One last thing: a while ago, I drew concept sketches of Evoleon and Hayley and posted them on Deviantart, so go check 'em out! The link to my Deviantart page can be found near the top of my profile.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Dwelling in the Past  
**

"So, what are we going to do now Hayley?"

"Well, it's getting late," she replied as she gazed at the sunset-hued sky. "Why don't we go to the Pokemon Center in the next town and get a room for the night?"

"Okay. Sounds good to me."

Hayley reached down and released her Pidgeot for the second time that day, greeting it like usual and asking it to give her a lift to Viridian City. The bird made its cooing sounds again and lowered its body to the ground, indicating that Hayley should hop on.

The flight didn't last nearly as long as the one from the Seafoam Islands. In fact, it seemed as if it was almost too short for the distance they had to travel. Maybe it was because she was a bit more used to flying now, or maybe because she felt some satisfaction in finally knowing something about herself. Whatever it was, it wasn't long before they saw Viridian City growing larger on the ever-darkening horizon. Calling her Pidgeot back into its Poke Ball, Hayley strode through the double sliding-glass doors.

"Nurse Joy?" the teen said, getting the attention of the pink-haired lady behind the counter. "May we have a room to stay in tonight?"

"Of course." Nurse Joy rummaged through a drawer for a while before taking out a key and handing it to Hayley. "Second door on the right."

"Thank you." Hayley bowed her head momentarily as a sign of gratitude and headed for the specified sleeping quarters. She fumbled with the key, trying to insert it into the lock so they could get inside, but the task was made slightly more difficult because Evoleon was still in her arms. After a few minutes of this, she asked Evoleon to climb onto her shoulder so she could unlock the door with ease. Evoleon gladly followed directions and stationed herself on the teen's right shoulder while she tried the lock again. They heard a metallic click and the door swung open, finally allowing them to enter.

The room was fairly small, had a bunk bed against the right wall, a door that lead to a bathroom on the left, and a square window on the wall opposite them. The last few fading rays of sunlight gleamed in through the glass window panes. Evoleon jumped off of Hayley's shoulder and bounded over to the windowsill, staring out across the landscape. She could see a forest in the distance, framing the many buildings in the town perfectly. A few Pidgey flew toward the trees and disappeared among the foliage, most likely settling down for the night, just as they were.

The sunset itself was amazing. Pinks, yellows, and a myriad of other colors blended into each other, reflecting their light off of the outlines of the trees and houses, painting the wispy clouds with their vibrant tones as well. Even though Evoleon had seen a few sunsets before, none of them could compare to this magnificent one. It was breath-taking, the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on.

Hayley walked over and patted Evoleon on the head, happy to see the Pokemon looking so tranquil.

"You fur is a little matted," she commented as she felt a snarl in Evoleon's cloud-like collar. "How would you like a bath?"

"A bath?" She honestly didn't know what a bath was.

"Yeah. You know, using water to clean yourself off? Come on," she said as she lifted the Pokemon into her arms once more. "It'll make you feel better."

She carried Evoleon into the bathroom and set her in the tub, turning on the water and letting it warm up before stoppering the drain. She let the tub fill up until the water reached Evoleon's underside and grabbed a special bottle of Pokemon shampoo from her bag. She poured some along Evoleon's spine, making her shiver from the sudden coldness. Hayley then lathered up the shampoo and worked it through Evoleon's fur, being careful not to pull on any tangles with too much force. Evoleon just stood there, enjoying the whole cleansing process. Hayley's hands were gentle and soothing as she massaged the shampoo through her coat, the water so warm and pleasant. It was obvious that she had had experience with giving a Pokemon a bath before. She knew exactly which spots felt best when stimulated and the pressure with which to touch them.

Hayley dragged some of the bubbles to the top of Evoleon's head, combing through the hair with her fingers and rubbing her long ears. Then she cupped her hands, sifted some of the bath water through her fingers, and dropped it over Evoleon's head. She smoothed the suds and water toward the Pokemon's back, preventing it from seeping into her eyes. She repeated this process until Evoleon was properly rinsed, after which she pulled the plug out of the drain and lifted Evoleon out of the tub, wrapping her in a towel. She gently stroked the shaggy cloth across the Pokemon's body as she went back into the other room and sat on the lower bunk, soaking up any excess water.

"How do you feel now?"

"Great!" Evoleon answered, shaking her fluffy, and recently cleaned, fur around. "Thanks Hayley."

"No problem," she smiled back. "I'm just gonna go change into my pajamas real quick, alright?"

"Alright."

As Hayley closed the door behind her to change, Evoleon jumped back onto the windowsill, gazing out at the now dark blue night sky. Stars glittered overhead as the moon cast its shimmering glow on the town, clouds occasionally drifting in front and disrupting the moonbeams. Evoleon was surprised by how many natural beauties there were. First the sunset, now this. What other wonders were there for her to discover?

Hayley emerged from the bathroom and joined Evoleon at the window again, now clad in her nightwear. They continued to stare outside until a low rumble sounded from Evoleon's stomach.

"Hungry are you?" Hayley laughed.

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"Well we better fix that now, shouldn't we?" She reached into her bag and pulled out a container of Pokemon food and a small bowl. She emptied the container into the bowl and set it on the floor. "There you go."

Evoleon hopped off the windowsill and made a bee-line for the food bowl. Hayley retrieved a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich from her bag and took a bite as Evoleon chowed down.

"I haven't eaten either," Hayley admitted, peanut butter sticking to the roof of her mouth. There was silence for a while, both of them eating their fill. Hayley went to brush her teeth and came back yawning from the sudden exhaustion that sometimes came with eating. She found a brush in her bag and started dragging it through her hair, Evoleon watching in curiosity. Hayley caught her staring and explained.

"It's a brush. It helps you from getting your hair really tangled. Want to try?"

Evoleon jumped onto her lap and laid down, permitting Hayley to stroke the bristly device through her coat. It felt really good, just like the bath, and Evoleon couldn't help but think how useful human inventions were.

"Hayley?"

"Hmm?

"What was your past like?" Evoleon asked, unable to contain the question that had been in the back of her mind ever since they had left the Professor's lab. "I mean, do you know? Or are you like me and you don't know?"

Hayley stopped brushing for a second, thinking of what to say.

"Well, there are some things I can't remember very well, like what happened when I was a baby, but that's normal. Most people don't remember anything from when they were a baby." Evoleon wondered if that might have explained why she didn't remember anything before waking up in that tank. After all, Professor Oak _had_ said that she was a young Pokemon.

"Where did you grow up?"

"For the most of my childhood, I lived in Littleroot Town in the Hoenn region. I remember always sneaking off into the nearby woods to go and play with the wild Pokemon that lived there." Hayley paused for a few seconds, apparently lost in her memories. "While I did have kids around my age to play with, for some reason I felt more comfortable being around Pokemon. I could understand them easier than I could humans. I have gotten a little bit better at reading people's feelings, but I'm still better at knowing what a Pokemon is feeling. It's weird, but I guess you could say that I have a natural skill of knowing the Pokemon psyche.

"My mom was always there to take care of me, but my dad was in LaRousse City most of the time, since that's where he works. Mom and I would take a ferry there on occasion to go see him, but he was usually so boggled down with work that we ended up going around town by ourselves…It was a pretty cool city," Hayley added. "There were all these moving sidewalks and little blocky security robots, and the coolest thing was that the city got all its power from the wind turbines. No pollution or anything.

"But the one thing in the entire city that interested me the most was the Battle Tower. It was the thing that convinced me to go on an adventure. I was fascinated by all the tactics and techniques that the trainers used in order to win. I saw so many different kinds of Pokemon there, even ones that didn't live in Hoenn. Every time we visited LaRousse, I would beg my mom to take me there. I loved watching the Pokemon jump elegantly out of the way of enemy attacks and smoothly loose their own.

"A few years later, I left for my journey with a spunky Mudkip as my companion. The more I traveled, the more I realized that I wasn't just interested in battling. In fact, for me it was more about going around, seeing new places and meeting new people and Pokemon. Along the way, I gathered the Gym Badges and before I knew it, I had beaten the Pokemon League! After that, I decided to go to other regions, see what kinds of adventures they had to offer, and that's how I eventually ended up here, in Kanto."

There was a long silence after Hayley had stopped talking. She had finished brushing Evoleon's fur and they were both in deep thought, Hayley reminiscing and Evoleon replaying her words in her head.

"Oh, it's getting late," Hayley said, snapping back to reality. "We should get some rest."

She placed the brush back in her bag as Evoleon climbed off her lap and onto the soft quilt. Hayley got under the covers and invited Evoleon to sleep under the warm blankets next to her. Evoleon settled herself up near Hayley's head as the teen tucked them both in. Hayley fell asleep quickly, but Evoleon laid there awake for a while, still thinking about what Hayley had told her. Hayley was able to remember her past, so why wasn't _she_ able to remember hers?


	6. Chapter 6: Lucario

PLBBTHFAH! Geez! I absolutely _abhor_ Writer's Block! Yeah, sorry about disappearing again. Blame the Writer's Block Gremlin for deciding to come and stay with me for a while. So, I finally have a new chapter for you guys! Hopefully it's okay (I was trying to write through my Writer's Block since it was taking forever to go away).

Also, don't expect another update soon. I'm afraid that it hasn't left my system completely...I was barely able to overcome it enough to write this, and I'm also working on this Robin Hood-related drawing for a play that my friend's younger brother is going to be in. It's kinda like a coloring book page that will help entertain the small children that come to see the play. If my drawing wins, I'll get two tickets to the play, a cast photo, and my drawing will be used to entertain the kids (obviously XP). Oh, I think I'd better ask: would you guys like me to post it on Deviantart when I'm done so you can see it?

And speaking of drawings, if you haven't already go check out the Hayley and Evoleon drawings on my Deviantart. The link is still on my profile.

One last thing, I have to thank Glace for being such a good friend to me here on Fanfiction. It was her comments that helped me write this chapter and get a general idea of what I should do later in the story. ^_^

So...read, enjoy, the whole shebang! And I'll see you next time! ;)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Lucario**

Evoleon woke up the next morning, slowly returning to her senses from a very deep sleep. She had never slept like that before, completely undisturbed by the outside world. She guessed it made sense, seeing as this bed was extremely comfortable. It took her a while to realize that her dream had been just that – no more than a fantasy. Suddenly remembering where she was, Evoleon opened her eyes.

She was curled up into a ball on the pillow, right next to the indentation that indicated the place where Hayley's head had rested…Wait, where was Hayley?

Evoleon got up and looked around the room. She couldn't see the brunette anywhere, not at the window, not in the top bunk, not even in the bathroom, which was wide open. Evoleon was starting to worry. Had something happened? Did Hayley run into some sort of trouble?

Just as Evoleon's mind wandered to the worst-case scenario, the teen turned the doorknob and walked in, toting a shopping bag in her hand.

"Oh, I see you're finally awake," Hayley said as her eyes found the furry little Pokemon sitting on her pillow.

"Yeah…" Evoleon stretched, finally able to relax now that her paranoia had been proved unnecessary. "How long was I asleep?"

"Quite a while. It's already late morning," Hayley replied, pointing out the window at the sun.

"Oh."

"You must be pretty hungry," Hayley said as she grabbed her travel bag. "Come on. We'll eat breakfast outside since it's such a nice day. I know the perfect spot."

Evoleon leapt off the bed and followed at Hayley's heels as she left the room and locked the door behind them. They went up to the front desk and returned the room key to Nurse Joy since they weren't coming back. Hayley led them out of the town and onto Route 2, where many Pidgey sat pecking at the ground, rummaging for morsels. Instead of flying away like small birds did whenever a human approached, they hopped toward her.

"Hey guys," Hayley laughed, pulling a paper bag full of bird seed out of her shopping bag. She grabbed a handful of the seed and scattered it across the ground, making the birds go into a flurry, eating the graciously given food with enthusiasm, wings flapping wildly. Evoleon gave Hayley a curious look.

"I once protected these Pidgey from an enraged Pikachu," she explained. "Most people would say that Pokemon don't have the brain capacity to remember such a thing. Well, they'd be mistaken."

They continued walking until they reached Viridian Forest. Evoleon, thinking that they would be going in, started walking toward the gate.

"Where are you going?" Hayley asked, smiling. "We're not going there just yet. We're going over here." Hayley led Evoleon down a path that was lined with trees just to the left of the gate. The trees hung low over their heads, sunlight cascading through the leaves. Hayley took an unexpected turn, heading off the path and going straight into the dense trees. Evoleon followed, wondering why the place they were going to was off the trail. After a few more minutes of walking, they passed the final tree and found themselves in a wide-open area on top of a cliff that overlooked the neighboring mountains. It was secluded, quiet, and peaceful.

"How do you know about this place?" Evoleon asked as Hayley set her bag down on a boulder.

"I've been traveling for quite a while now. As I was heading toward Viridian Forest for the first time, I noticed the path and decided to follow it. It took me a few hours of wandering around randomly to find this place. If we went all the way to the very end of the path, it would just lead us to a wall of rocks." Hayley looked back toward the trees from which they had just emerged. "Not many people know about this because they either choose to ignore the path completely or just follow it to the end. That's one of the things that I like about this place: it's somewhere I can always go when I want to be by myself." Hayley went quiet for a while, staring out over the landscape. "Today, though, it's a place where we can all spend some quality time together."

"All?"

Hayley smiled and reached toward her belt, throwing her other five Poke Balls into the air. They popped open simultaneously and released the Pokemon inside. There were the Gardevoir and Pidgeot that Evoleon had seen before, a Ninetales, a Lucario, and a Swampert.

"Hey guys," Hayley greeted. "I want you to meet the newest member of our team, Evoleon." She gestured to the furry Pokemon at her feet. "Evoleon, these are my other Pokemon. They've been my trusted companions for years."

"Oh, umm…Hi," Evoleon said, unsure of how she was supposed to introduce herself. Hayley's Pokemon responded with their respective, energetic cries, greeting Evoleon to the group.

"Alright guys," Hayley called, pulling some bowls out of her travel bag. "Who's hungry?"

They all gave excited cries and hurried forward.

"Okay, okay!" Hayley laughed. "I'm getting it."

She went around to each Pokemon, giving them their food. Pidgeot got a special blend of various seeds that were supposed to boost feather condition, Evoleon, Ninetales, and Swampert each got a bowl full of Hayley's homemade dry Pokemon food, and Gardevoir and Lucario each got berries. Most of the Pokemon stayed where Hayley had given them their food, but Lucario turned and walked away as soon as she had placed the berry in his hand. He headed to the cliff and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the edge. He didn't eat, he just stared blankly down at the berry he had received. Hayley's other Pokemon paid no mind to Lucario's strange reaction, apparently it was normal behavior from him, but Gardevoir hadn't touched her berry either. She was too busy looking at Lucario forlornly over her shoulder. After a few minutes, Gardevoir joined Lucario at the cliff's edge, dangling her feet as well.

"Hayley, what's wrong with Lucario?" Evoleon asked.

"Oh, um," Hayley started, suddenly emitting an aura of sadness. She let out a sigh before continuing. "Nothing, really. It's just…he hasn't had the most pleasant past ever."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story." When she saw the genuine look on Evoleon's furry face, she began relaying Lucario's tale. "He used to be someone else's Pokemon back when he was just a Riolu. That kid was Kyle. He wasn't Riolu's Trainer or anything, but the two were best friends. They did everything together.

"And then Kyle had to move to the Almia region. He had to leave Riolu behind. The problem was, Kyle was a very sensitive kid. He would cry over everything, and Riolu worried about him. He wanted to be there for Kyle until he grew up, so he set out for Almia. When he finally arrived at his destination, Riolu jumped on top of the Ranger School that was nearby and started shooting out Aura Spheres to alert Kyle of his presence.

"Now what you have to understand is that it's very rare for a Riolu to know Aura Sphere. Usually they can't learn it until they evolve into a Lucario, so he was attracting a lot of attention, including that of a criminal organization known as Team Dim Sun. They were a group that controlled Pokemon through these weird machines. When they heard of the Riolu that could use Aura Sphere, they headed out immediately, intending to use it to resurrect Team Dim Sun, since the Rangers had previously defeated their boss.

"Kyle went with a Top Ranger to go meet his friend, but they didn't know that Team Dim Sun had their eyes on Riolu. They snatched Riolu away before Kyle could say much more than the Pokemon's name. Through mind control, they made Riolu shoot an Aura Sphere at Kyle and the Ranger while they made their getaway. Kyle was knocked unconscious, and Riolu contacted him through something called the 'Heart's Voice.' He told Kyle where Team Dim Sun had taken him, so Kyle and the Top Ranger went and rescued him. Riolu was resisting the mind control as much as he could, but he was only able to break it with the help of the Top Ranger's expertise and Kyle's Heart's Voice. Team Dim Sun was disbanded once again, and the Top Ranger escorted Kyle and Riolu to the Ranger Union. In the end, everyone decided that it would be best if Riolu went with a Pokemon Trainer, since Kyle no longer needed him to worry. He had shown unbelievable bravery by rescuing Riolu from an enemy organization. They needed someone they could trust to protect Riolu from any other bad people who would try to abuse his power.

"During my time in Almia, I saw the notice and thought that I'd check it out. After they asked me a few questions, the Union determined that I would be the perfect person to care for Riolu…Kyle and Riolu wouldn't be separated, really, because they could use their Heart's Voices to contact each other, and for the first few months, everything was fine. Riolu was really happy, but after he evolved, I think he somehow lost part of his control over his Heart's Voice. He was having a harder time trying to connect with Kyle, and as we went overseas to another region, it became even fainter.

"I think that it's not so much that he's losing the connection that bothers him so much as it is that he's worrying about Kyle again. If they lose the connection permanently, Lucario won't be able to reassure Kyle, grant him confidence from a distance.

"I once offered to take him back so he could go live with Kyle again, but he refused. You see, Lucario is actually a very proud Pokemon as well as an emotional one. In his mind, if he leaves me to go back to Kyle, he'll be giving up on me. He's worried what Kyle would think of him. Ever since his Heart's Voice started to fade, he's become more taciturn and has started to isolate himself from others…"

There was a silence in which both Hayley and Evoleon contemplated what had just been said. Evoleon had to admit that Lucario's story sounded even more morose than hers. She couldn't remember her past and therefore hadn't seen it slip away, but he could remember his past and could do nothing but watch as it slowly faded into oblivion.

"How do you know so much, Hayley? Are you an old friend of Kyle's?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've only ever seen him once, when he trusted his dear friend to me. That was when he explained this whole story to me, and I promised him that I would never let anyone lay a hand on Riolu."

"Why was Gardevoir the only one who seemed to care?"

"Oh no, don't misunderstand us. All of us care very much. His story just touched her most of all. The rest of us give him space because that's what he likes nowadays. Gardevoir is the only one out of all of us who can actually make him talk and cheer up. She somehow got him to open up to her and has been comforting him ever since he started distancing himself from us."

As if to prove Hayley's point, Gardevoir chose that moment to give Lucario a light hug. Evoleon was surprised to hear a small giggle escape from Hayley's lips.

"Gardevoir is said to be the Embrace Pokemon. Though, I never really knew how literal it was until she became one of Lucario's closest friends."

And that was all it took to make Evoleon smile too.

There was a rustle from the trees behind and everyone turned their heads to see what it was. From between the tree trunks emerged a young Trainer, leaves in his hair.

"Hi," Hayley grinned. "I didn't expect anyone to be coming here today. Would you like us to leave so you can be here alone?"

"Oh, um, no," the boy said, looking surprised. "Actually I never knew about this place until now…I-I kinda followed you here, but I got lost and have been wandering around for a while now."

"Oh, really? What would make you follow me like that?"

"Well, um, I saw you in the Pokemon Center earlier and I thought I heard that Pokemon talk," he said, his voice growing stronger as he pointed at Evoleon. "I haven't ever seen a Pokemon like that. What is it?"

"This is Evoleon. She just recently joined my crew."

"Uh, hi," Evoleon said, startling the boy despite the fact that he claimed that he'd already heard her talking.

"So, I _wasn't_ just hearing things." The boy suddenly stood up straighter. "I have just started my journey and want to challenge your Evoleon to a one-on-one battle."

Both Hayley and Evoleon were surprised at the boy's sudden declaration, but Hayley, being the experienced Trainer she was, recovered quickly.

"Uh, sure," the teen replied. "It's okay with me. Are you up for a battle Evoleon?"

"I guess," Evoleon answered, nervousness starting to creep into her body. This would be her first battle. How would she do?


End file.
